Of Chocolate Cakes and Carvings
by fairytalelights
Summary: Because Jack Frost is an idiot not to see what's right in front of him, and Aster's going to make sure that Merida realises that. (She's never known just how sweet Aster Bunnymund can be.) /modernAU/


**I should really be writing my report...but it's _so _easy to get distracted on my laptop. So here's a oneshot written while alternating between this and my report!**

**(Okay, I may be a _little _in love with writing Merida now.)**

**Written for fun so hope it's not too bad -**

* * *

><p>Jack Frost and Merida Dunbroch have always been best friends. It is a fact. They are wild, yes, and they're crazy, and they're the terrors of the school (being the pranksters that they are), and they can always be found together.<p>

Until now.

Jack is walking in the park, his arm around Tooth's shoulders (her name's Ana, but everyone always calls her Tooth, and he thinks it's kinda cute), when he sees a familiar mane of wild, curly red hair on the path in front of them, heading right towards them, bright blue eyes in a round, freckled face, her skateboard sliding across the pavement.

For a moment, he raises his hand, to say hi.

But then her eyes meet his, just for a second, and she takes the nearest pathway out of their way, and he can't think but how the sound of that skateboard is so familiar to him – the only difference being that it's usually headed _towards_ him, instead of frantically trying to get away.

He can't think why. He doesn't know why. The way she acts, it's like he's the one who's done something wrong, but he can't recall anything he's done. It's not the first time they've had an argument – they've had plenty of them before – but this one is different.

She's been avoiding him for the past three weeks, and won't even give him a chance to talk.

He knows better than to confront her about it.

"You okay, Jack?" Tooth glances up at him, slightly worried, and he manages a smile, drops a kiss.

"I'm fine."

* * *

><p>"Moping around ain't gonna help you, mate."<p>

"I'm not moping, Bunny."

"Yeah, sure you're not."

Aster Bunnymund drops down onto the park bench next to Merida, who's got her skateboard at her feet, staring at the pond in front of her. It's growing dark now, and the light is fading, but she shows no signs of heading home.

"He's an idiot," Aster says.

Merida doesn't look at him: "Who are we talking about?"

"You can't lie to me, Red," the Australian boy says. "My foster brother's an idiot for not being able to see what's in front of him."

"Is it that obvious?" Her tone is bitter.

She is angry. She is angry because she has fallen for a boy who will never care for her the same way, a boy who will never see her as anything more than a friend, a boy who has no idea of her feelings for him. She is angry because it's no fun to fall for someone, especially when she's got no one to catch her.

She is angry because she thinks she might be a little in love, and she is angry because she can't believe she is.

Aster says: "Only if you know what to look for."

Merida thinks of Tooth. Tooth is kind, and sweet, and gentle, and caring. She is soft-spoken – though fierce at times – and she is a lovely person.

And she is nothing like Merida.

No wonder Jack's fallen for her, and fallen hard.

"It's stupid," she says, and she thinks she might almost cry – but she can't, she _can't_, not when Aster is next to her. She doesn't know what she's doing – Aster's her friend, sure, but not a particularly close one. But his presence is comforting, he is large and quiet and just _there_, and she doesn't think she can handle Rapunzel or Hiccup or Hans right now.

Rapunzel means well, she knows, but she's too preppy, too hyper, and far too happy sometimes – and to admit to the blond about her feelings would just be strange and awkward and very, very sad. Hiccup is wonderful and geeky and nice, but he's so happy with Astrid right now that Merida can't bring herself to spoil his mood with her stupid emotions – and she really doesn't need his sarcastic, but well-meaning comments. And Hans is an ass, even if he's always been there to share a joke with her or help her punch someone (though she doesn't actually need his help), but he's really not what she needs right now.

But Aster – Aster is comforting, just by being next to her. She's never really known him – while she and Jack are the pranksters, the outcasts, Aster's always been the popular kid, the one at the top – but she's always seen him whenever she goes around to Jack's house, since they live together. And he's always been easy to talk to, and to bicker with, and he is, she remembers, surprisingly good at baking.

"You probably don't want to hear me whine," she finally mutters.

She can sense him shrugging. "Nah, I'm good. I've got nowhere to go, anyway. North's gonna be back late tonight."

_And Jack will be out with Tooth._ He doesn't have to say it for her to know it.

"Why is it stupid?" he asks her, finally, when it's clear she's not going to say anything.

She's quiet for a while, before saying: "_I'm_ stupid. I mean, even if he has a girlfriend, I shouldn't act this way, you know?"

"You can't always control your emotions, mate," he says. "Nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed of."

She turns to him, then, and to his relief, he can see the faintest of smiles on her face: "_You're_ giving me emotional advice? And here I thought you had the emotional range of a teaspoon."

"You got that from Harry Potter."

"I did," she agrees.

"And I do _not_ have the emotional range of a teaspoon."

"Keep lying to yourself, Bunny. It's not healthy."

He chuckles, softly, and somehow, Merida feels a bit better, better than she has for the past three weeks. She can still see Jack's face in her mind, but it's easier, just a bit easier, to push it away now.

"You know," Aster says, after a moment, "there's a lot of fish in the sea, Red."

"Since when were we talking about fish?"

"Acting dumb is your specialty, I know." Aster gets to his feet then, and, absently, ruffles her mane of hair. "Just – remember that. There could be someone out there who's more suited for you than that white-haired idiot. He ain't good enough for you."

He sends her one last look, the corners of his mouth twitching up into a smile, and then he heads off down the path, his hands in his pockets.

A moment later, Merida's back on her skateboard on her way home, smiling faintly.

* * *

><p>A couple of days later, the triplets are standing in front of her bedroom door, arms crossed and frowning at her.<p>

"What?" she snaps. She is tired, and angry, because all the warmth from her conversation Aster days ago (which has been slowly fading), has now disappeared completely. She's spent the day with Rapunzel, and for some reason she has been seeing Tooth and Jack almost _everywhere_, and she can feel anger bubbling and boiling in her stomach, and her heart hurts.

"You had a delivery," Hubert says.

"A very special delivery," says Harris.

"I didn't know you have friends," Hamish says.

He swallows a little when he sees her sharp look: "What the hell are you three talking about?"

They exchange looks, and then Hubert and Harris bring out a large, opaque white box, neatly wrapped with a bold ribbon around it.

"What's this?" she asks, eyeing them and _it_ suspiciously, because she is much too tired for one of their pranks.

"Told you, you had a delivery," says Hamish. "The guy said to tell you it's from Bunny."

Merida takes a cautious step forward, and the triplets press the box into her hand before waiting expectantly, looking at her.

There's a short note, folded over under the ribbon, and she opens it:

_Hey, Red. I baked something yesterday, and nobody in this damn house wants to help me finish it. Figured you might like it – you know, what with your relationship with anything edible. It won't kill you, I promise. Hopefully. Aster Bunnymund. _

She blinks, and for a moment, she thinks she might cry again (stupid hormones; they won't let her off).

Carefully, she pulls off the ribbon and opens up the box.

Inside are slices of chocolate cake, the soft, fudgy kind that she loves, carefully cut and placed neatly, slices that nearly fill up the entire box.

She swallows, and, for some reason, she doesn't remember why she felt so angry earlier today, and her heart doesn't seem to ache as much.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Bunny, you got something."<p>

For a moment Jack thinks that he sees a flash of ridiculous red hair at the end of the street – but it's gone in an instant, and he shakes his head and looks down at the parcel. (She's got no reason to come here anymore, since she's not talking to him; no point getting his hopes up) He frowns.

"What?" Aster has made his way down the stairs, and he sees Jack standing in the doorway, frowning at a brown package in his hands. "What's that?"

"Since when do you and Merida know each other so well?" Jack demands, pointing at the package. Aster has to control himself from snatching it out of his hands.

"We don't," he says.

"Then why's she leaving you stuff?"

"Why can't she?" Aster asks, and this time he reaches over and grabs the package from him. "She's not just your friend alone."

Jack doesn't know why, but he feels annoyed. All right, he's lying – he _does_ know why. Merida doesn't speak to him for weeks, and refuses to look at him, and all of a sudden she's leaving _Aster_ presents? She's _his_ friend. Not Aster's.

Aster doesn't notice his foster brother's annoyance. He's looking at the short note that she's left.

_Hey, Bunny. Thanks for the chocolate cake – it was great. Let my brothers try a bit, and I swear, I had to lock up the rest of it or it'll all have been gone in a couple of minutes. Anyway, hope you like this. Merida._

He unwraps the package then, hurriedly, vaguely aware of Jack standing behind him, frowning slightly, and the brown wrapping peels away to reveal an elegant wooden carving of a bunny, a little rabbit, cute and round-cheeked and with long ears. It's clearly taken time to make, to carefully carve.

"What the – " He's at a loss for words, and he can't help the smile spreading across his face.

"Why'd she get you that?"

Jack recognises the style, of course he does. These kind of woodcarvings are probably one of the only things Merida actually has the patience to take her time over. He's got a couple upstairs, wooden animals and figurines and silly stuff she's made for him over the years. (His favourite is the one of a bear, the one she gave him on his last birthday.) He can't help but feel annoyed, angry, even, because it was months before Merida ever made him anything and she doesn't even really know Aster that well and she's making him carvings?

"Oh, I don't know, mate, maybe it's because I'm her _friend_," Aster snaps, and he's up the stairs before Jack can say anything else.

* * *

><p>He finds her at the same park bench again, sliding her skateboard across the ground.<p>

He doesn't know what to say: "You didn't have to do anything for me."

She punches him hard, on the shoulder, for that. It's funny how much strength and force she has behind that tiny fist.

"Yes, I did."

Silence, but it's a comfortable silence.

"Jack got pissed, you know."

She stiffens: "Why?"

"He got mad that you were sending me stuff all of a sudden."

"It's not his business," she mutters, but he can see her face softening suddenly, and all of a sudden he's annoyed with himself.

He _had_ to mention Jack, hadn't he?

* * *

><p>The next day, Merida finds herself with Aster.<p>

She doesn't really have classes with him, but their classrooms are all in the same area, so it's easy for him to fall into step with her once the bell rings and they're out. She spots Flynn Rider and Herc and Lightning and a couple of his other friends look at Aster in surprise, but he doesn't seem to notice, or to care.

"What are you doing?" she asks him, when he appears next to her for the first time.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" he asks, and gets a punch for that (Flynn Rider's eyes widen in surprise at that, and he chuckles and mutters something to Lightning, who raises his eyebrows and grins.). "I'm walking with you."

"Why?"

"'Cos I want to, Red. You got a problem?"

He gets another punch for his concerns, but she doesn't ask anything else.

And, somehow, she likes walking around from class to class with him, because he's funny and crude and brash and straightforward and serious, and it's a change from walking around with Hans or Rapunzel or Astrid or Hiccup (who all give her strange looks when they realise that she's talking and walking with Aster, because after all, he's a jock and she's an outcast just like them).

When it comes to lunch, she hesitates at the door, because she doesn't know what she's supposed to do – does she go and join her friends, or does Aster expect her to sit with him and _his_ friends? She doesn't fit in their social circle. (Jack has left their table long ago to sit alone with Tooth, and she tries to ignore that painful feeling in her chest when she thinks of that.)

He stops too, and looks at her.

"You think you could introduce me to that friend of yours?" he says. "Hiccup, or something? Heard he's a genius, and he's built a couple of his own inventions, or something like that. He seems cool."

And just like that, he solves the problem, and she's grateful.

Hans is unwelcoming, but after a couple of harsh, quick words, and a long stare, he settles into his seat and gives Merida an approving nod. Rapunzel and Hiccup are both nervous, but Aster, being Aster, makes them feel at ease, and in a moment they're relaxed, laughing. Merida can't help but marvel – she'd had a hard time when she first got to know Aster – how come he's so friendly all of a sudden? (And she remembers that he's really a big softy, underneath the tough-guy exterior, and maybe he's just so much more comfortable now.)

It's Astrid who asks the question.

"So are you two secretly together?"

Merida nearly chokes on her food.

Aster only laughs.

"She'd never let me," he tells her.

Astrid only smiles, knowingly: "You intimidated by her?"

"Just a bit."

And Aster looks over at Merida, who is trying to ignore the flush on her face.

* * *

><p>And it continues. Day in and day out – once, where you would have found Jack Frost with Merida, there's now Aster and Merida. After school, some days, they'll go over to the park, and just talk, or maybe go and catch a movie or go to the bakery or just walk around town.<p>

Merida likes spending time with Aster. He makes her forget, sometimes, why she started spending so much time with him in the first place. He's not like Jack, he's not particularly cheeky or mischievous or much of a joker, but he's serious (she's forgotten how much she needs someone serious around her, sometimes), and he still makes her laugh, sometimes with his hilarious, stupid mistakes, and he's kind, and caring, even if he doesn't like to show it.

For Aster, he doesn't have much to say, because all his thoughts centre on the redheaded Scottish heiress.

It's two or three weeks before Jack snaps, and Merida shuts her locker one day to find him in front of her.

"What's with you and Aster?" he asks, immediately. "Are you guys together?"

Merida waits for a moment, for her to feel her heart ache and an empty drop in her stomach.

But, for some strange reason, it doesn't happen.

"What's it to you, Frost?" she asks, using his surname because that's how she's always addressed him, back before he ever got together with Tooth.

He frowns: "I didn't even know you guys were friends."

She wants to tell him: _It's not your business. Why do you care? He's my friend, and that's my life._

But she doesn't, because there's a look in his eyes that says he's a little angry, but a little sad, and he's a little confused.

"You don't talk to me for weeks," he says, suddenly, rushing his words out, "and then you go and start hanging out with Aster and exchanging presents and stuff and you even made a carving for him and I don't even know why you won't talk to me or look at me or anything – "

"_Jack_."

He looks up at her then, those icy eyes that always made her heart ache and her stomach drop (though she'd never have admitted it).

But now she thinks of another pair of eyes, a pair of green eyes.

_Aster_.

She feels her heart warm, just by thinking about him.

"We're not together," she tells him. "We're just friends." (But she wonders, if maybe they really just are, and if she wants to be just that, and does he?) "And – and I _was_ mad at you. But I'm not anymore."

He looks at her, with that sad face again, that's just becoming a little happier.

"For real?" he asks, because he figures there's no point asking her if she'll tell him _why_ she was mad, because she'll probably never tell him.

"For real," she says, and for a second, she wishes he'd asked _why_, because she wants to know that he actually cared about why she was mad – but she pushes it aside, because that's just stupid, and it'd just be plain awkward. (But she thinks of how Aster would ask, and look at her with those green eyes until he guesses correctly or she gives in.) "I was just being stupid, that's all."

"Stupid is right, Dunbroch," he says. "But then, I already knew you were."

"Shut it, Frost. I was feeling sentimental."

He laughs, and she grins, and somehow, everything is all right again.

Without warning, he hugs her then: "I missed you, you crazy Scot."

She chuckles: "Missed you too, Frostbite."

* * *

><p>Aster is running.<p>

It's not like he expected much, but he didn't expect to see Merida and Jack hugging. Definitely not. Merida's always been fond of Jack, he knows. She has been, for a long, long time. He's always known that. Known that ever since the first day she walked into the house with her head of crazy red hair and her infectious laughter and chortling and her bright blue eyes, and ever since he started to realise that he'd wanted to know her as more than just Jack Frost's friend.

But hugging –

His feet pound along the pathway, thumping, and he's aware of the trees looming up around him and the quiet benches and the kaleidoscope of colours that are flowers.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid_. He knows what Merida means now, about being stupid. Did he really think that a box of chocolate cake and hanging around her in school, hanging out with her after school, making her laugh and smile, would make anything happen?

Yeah, they're friends now. Real friends. He's not just Jack Frost's foster brother; she's not just Jack Frost's friend. Fine.

Still his feet pounds, and thumps along the ground.

He thinks of that afternoon he'd spent searching for the right recipe, trying to bake the perfect cake for her. He'd baked her another cake just last week, and today he thinks of the batch of chocolate chip cookies in his bag. He specially made them for her – they're a brand new recipe he just found – he can still remember the goofy smile spreading over his face as he packaged them, nicely, neatly, and placed them inside his bag. They're probably getting crushed now, but he doesn't really care anymore.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid_.

* * *

><p>Merida finds him, of course.<p>

"Where've you been?" she asks, sliding onto the seat next to him.

He can't look at her. "Running."

"Oh." She is happy, he can tell. "I figured something out, today," she tells him.

"Yeah?"

His voice sounds strange to him, but he's gotta control his emotions, he tells himself. He will _not, not for the world,_ ruin his friendship with Merida. Not for anything. Not even if his stupid foster brother dumps Tooth and starts dating Merida because he's finally grown eyes and is able to realise that Merida is probably the best thing that's ever happened to him. (Hey, he has to think of the worst possible situation, right?)

_Control, Aster_.

"Yeah," she says. "Frost and I made up."

"Yeah. I saw."

"I didn't see you!"

(Did he see them hug? Is that why he's acting like this? She thinks she might be crazy, but if he's acting like this, there has to be a reason, right?)

"I was busy."

"Well," she says, "it's all okay now, anyway. I figured, what you said. There's lots of fish in the sea."

He raises his head: "What?"

"When you first came to sit next to me, here," she says. "You told me there's lots of fish in the sea."

"I did," he says. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I realised you're right," she tells him. "I don't feel the same about Frost anymore. I mean – we're friends, yeah. But just friends. And I'm happy that way."

She is smiling at him now, smiling brilliantly, and there is one sentence running through Aster's mind: _I don't feel the same about Frost anymore_.

Then another: _Just friends. And I'm happy that way. _

"What's with the change of mind?" he asks.

"It's more like a change of heart," she says. "I always thought, you know, that falling for someone means you hafta really know him. To know someone inside out, all their flaws and everything you love them for."

"Yeah?"

They're looking at each other now, green eyes looking into blue, blue into green.

"Yeah."

And then they turn away.

"But?" Aster prompts.

"But I realised it doesn't work that way," she tells him. "Falling for someone ain't easy to explain. You don't have to know everything about the person to fall for him. It's, you know, one of those crazy, unexplainable emotions that you have. You don't even have to really know a person. You just – fall."

"And hope that she catches you?" he asks.

"And hope that he catches you," she agrees.

Somehow, they're looking at each other again.

"I made cookies for you," he finds himself saying, nearly stammering.

"You're really sweet, you know that?"

And then there's really no need to talk at all, because her lips are on his and his are on hers and he's pulling her closer and his hands are tangled in her hair and she's grabbed him by the front of his shirt and she's not letting him go and he's got no intention of letting her go, either –

And that's all both of them can think about, or care about, really.


End file.
